Fallout: WarMonger
by Code-name CERBERUS
Summary: Five years after the fall of the Institute, Sanctuary is razed by a mysterious gang of militaristic mercenaries. Thousands of miles away, Blue, Piper, and Dogmeat, the only remaining citizens of Sanctuary try to rebuild their lives in the Mojave Wasteland and encounter a familiar face along the way
1. The Man and The Raider

Fallout: WarMonger

The Man and The Raider

The Man who looked much younger than his actual age stared down the barrel of a shotgun with nothing but a cold, dead look in his eyes. Only a handful of years ago, this very same Man would be afraid beyond words. Now, fear was gone. He had completely forgotten this emotion.

The man with the shotgun stammered. "You gimme' everything' you got! Or I'll-"

"Do what? Shoot me? Really?" the Man asked.

"Uh, yeah. I'mma gonna shoot ya!" the Raider replied.

The Man scoffed. "Son, I emerged from an underground Vault five years with no prior knowledge of this world. I hunted the man who murdered my wife and took my son and I personally blew his goddamn face off with his own gun. Then, I toppled a technological empire, sacrificing everything I cared about. Now, ask yourself, do you really want to threaten me?"

The Raider glanced down at the weapon he help. The Man didn't hesitate. Lunging forward, he grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and forced it upward. The shotgun went off. The Man's eyes leveled as he and the Raider came face to face.

The Raider's dark tanned face went pale with fear. The Man grinned. Without a word, the feeling of a finely polished blade slithering into his gut reached the Raider's nervous center and then his brain. With a groan and a spurtle of blood, the Raider fell to the dusty ground beneath the Man.

The Man kneeled and felt through the pockets of the Raider's leather jacket. "You didn't have an extra shell? You stupid fuck." the Man snarled.

The Man stood up and kicked the corpse in the head, dislocating the jaw with a fresh spray of blood.

"Blue!" a voice called from a distant ridge.

Blue turned to see who the voice belonged to. Sure enough, it was Piper. Blue's only company on the road besides Dogmeat, Blue's trusted canine friend. Piper slid down the hill with Dogmeat in tow, barking happily. When she reached the bottom, she took off at a jog to meet Blue.

"Find anything?" Piper asked.

Blue sighed. "This jack-off had nothing." he said.

"Damn." Piper muttered.

Blue turned and scanned the horizon, nothing. The only thing worse than the innumerable abundance of bugs in the Mojave Wasteland was the scorching sun. Blue knew what it was like before the bombs fell. He had been stationed outside of Las Vegas for a time before being shipped off to fight a war he didn't care about.

"Blue, your wandering again." Piper said.

Blue turned back to Piper and Dogmeat and realized he had been walking away absent mindedly. He'd been doing that for a decade when his train of thought became rampant.

"Come on, Blue. Let's find a place to hunker down for the night." Piper said.

Blue. She was the only one who ever called him Blue. People back home called him "Stranger," "Man Outta Time," "General," "Murderer," "Fiend," "Friend." But never Blue, only Piper called him that. He had long since discarded his blue and yellow Vault 111 jumpsuit, but the nickname stuck and Piper never let things go.

Blue took a step towards Piper and brushed a lock of brown hair from her eyes. "Yeah, good call."

Piper smiled.

Dogmeat barked at the sign of affection from Blue. Blue smiled and patted Dogmeat on the head.

"Good boy, Dogmeat." he said.

Dogmeat barked his approval and Blue smiled again. He had never had an interest in dogs, not until he met good ol' Dogmeat. Dogmeat had saved his life on his first day outside of Vault 111. He's been following Blue ever since. Now, Dogmeat's fur was lined with subtle hints of grey, the aging dog was beginning to show his years in the harsh environment of the Commonwealth and the Mojave.

Piper; however, was a different story. She was a journalist Blue had met in Diamond City. An old stadium in Boston renovated into a major settlement in the Commonwealth. She had asked for a quote about his thoughts, emerging from a Vault and into this world.

He had lied of course. He told her the sight of these settlements gave Blue hope. In reality they filled him with fear, it was only a matter of time before they'd all kill each other out of paranoia. Eventually, Blue had convinced her, or _she_ convinced him to go along with him on his journeys.

In the years past, they'd grown close to the point where they didn't need two mattresses or bedrolls when camping. Blue had reconciled in her how much she reminded him of Nora, Blue's love from before the bombs.

In the back of his mind, Blue could hear Piper call out a shack on the horizon. Instinctually, Blue drew his revolver, formerly owned by a certain man named Kellogg.

In this world, you needed to be ready for anything. Even if it meant taking an innocent life.


	2. Shelter

Fallout: WarMonger

Shelter

Slowly, Blue crept up on the rundown shack. There was no way of knowing whether someone was in there or not, so it was a smart move to be cautious. Dogmeat trailed behind happily not even knowing his master was trying and probably not succeeding at being stealthy.

Dogmeat walked right past Blue and barked at the shack's door. Blue and Piper dove around the corner of the shack while a man in a dirty pair of rags and worn trousers walked out. Looking down at the dog, the man smiled.

"What's your name, huh little guy?" he asked.

Dogmeat barked.

The man patted Dogmeat's head but then noticed something odd about his fur. "You've been getting petted often, aren't you?"

The man stood up. "Alright, come on out. You cowards!"

Around the corner, Blue sighed and lowered his gun. He walked around the corner with Piper close behind.

"Who in hell's name are you and why you on my land!?" The man asked.

"We just need a place to stay for the night and we'll be on our way."

The man softened slightly. "Well, I got room."

The man beckoned for them to follow him into the shack. Blue glanced at Piper and they followed suit. Inside, the shack was meager with very little furniture except a single wide bed, a refrigerator, a broken lamp, and a small hatch in the ground.

Piper noticed the mysterious hatch as well and took a step towards it in her journalistic curiosity. The man noticed and put his foot down on the hatch.

"That's not for you." he said sternly.

Without a word, Piper back off. The man let out a "hmph" and kept going. The man himself looked no different from an other, in his late 30s the man had blown back blonde hair and a slight scruffle on his chin. Blue took notice of the fact that this man had many scars adorning his bare arms. And one on his forehead.

The man pointed to the wide bed. "For you." he said simply.

"My name is Mason." the man continued. "Need anything, I'm sleeping outside."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous out here?" Piper asked.

"Hmph. Lady, I'd be the most dangerous thing out there." Mason said.

Mason walked out without another word and Piper glanced over suspiciously at Blue. Blue shrugged and removed the piece of steel that acted as a chest piece before flopping onto the bed.

Piper looked back at the mysterious hatch for a moment before joining him in the bed.

/

The next morning, the sun was blazing hot before it was even eight in the morning. Blue and Piper awoke to Dogmeat standing over them on the bed, panting contently now that his people were awake.

Blue gasped. "Bad dog breath!" he wheezed, trying to fan Dogmeat's breath away.

Piper laughed and rolled out of the bed and onto the floor. Blue took Dogmeat in his arms and tackled him down onto the mattress. He began scratching his belly, making Dogmeat's leg kick with excitement.

Blue looked over at Piper, who was already partially dressed. "You almost done?" she asked.

Blue looked down at Dogmeat. "Yeah." he said.

The two walked out of the shack to see Mason sitting in the dirt with a knife, whittling away at a piece of wood.

"Good morning." Blue said.

"Hmph." came Mason's reply.

Blue glanced at Piper who gave him a sympathetic look. Mason stood up and turned to greet them.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"As well as can be expected." Piper said.

Mason shrugged. "The mattress is a little old." he said.

"No, it's fine." she replied.

Mason nodded and turned back to what he was going. Piper caught a glimpse of a wooden carving, depicting the figure of a woman in a robe.

"Where is the nearest town from here? We're kind of new to this area." Blue asked.

Mason thought a moment then answered pointing northward. "There's a small town off that way. Called Goodsprings. They're nice folk, treat 'em nice." Mason said.

"We will. Thank you." Blue said.

"I don't need thanks." Mason replied.

/

As Blue, Piper, and Dogmeat passed over a hill that overlooked Mason's shack, they turned back to wave to their gracious host. Mason noticed the gesture and waved back. His expression didn't change, he was a stoic as a statue.

Just then, Piper nudged Blue's shoulder and pointed off to the east. A group of people were approaching the shack, and they were armed.

Blue and Piper dropped down to their stomachs for fear of being seen, in case these men were trouble.

They watched as one man stepped out from the group of heavily armed men, Mason stared coldly; unflinchingly, at the supposed leader of this group.

Words were exchanged and Blue and Piper listened as the leader lost his temper and began yelling profanities at Mason before storming off with his men close behind him.

Blue looked over at Piper. "What the hell was that about?" he asked.

"I really don't know." she replied.

The trio continued on to the town Mason told them about, Goodsprings. When they reached the settlement, Blue was astonished. The place was straight out of an old western from when he was a kid before the war, a saloon, a general store, a pen of bighorns, farmers tending crops, and a few children roaming about.

They made their way through the town which surprisingly was bustling with people coming and going and multiple brahmin caravans roaming around. They soon reached the saloon, above it hung a big sign that read "Prospector Saloon."

They entered it to see people of all kinds about, mercenaries for hire, caravanners, caravan guards, prospectors, and regular old businessman. One person stood out though.

She approached the newcomers with a hand on a six-shooter on her belt and a dog at her side. Blue glanced down at the dog and smiled nervously.

"She won't bite unless I tell her to." the woman said.

"That's good, guess." Blue replied.

"So, what's your business here in Goodsprings?"

Piper stepped in. "We're just passing through, we need directions and provisions."

The woman smiled and took her hand off the six-shooter. "Names Sunny Smiles and this is Cheyenne."

Sunny glanced down at Cheyenne who had her full attention on Dogmeat. "Don't be strangers." Sunny said before walking off with Cheyenne close behind.

Blue let out a sigh of relief. "I kinda like this place already."


	3. Big Trouble in Little Goodsprings

Fallout: WarMonger

Big Trouble in Little Goodsprings

Blue entered the rather narrow room that held the actual bar. One woman with red hair stood behind it, handing out pints and shots to the ten or so men and women sitting on the leather stools against the counter. Blue came to one side of the counter and got the woman's attention.

The woman walked over to where he was standing at the counter. "What'll it be?"

"A shot of whiskey." Blue said.

"Comin' up. Names Trudy. I own this place and I'm the closest thing this town's got to a mayor, so behave around me." Trudy said.

Blue nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Trudy turned away to get Blue his drink. Blue scanned around the bar at the many faces in it. Then, from out of nowhere came an elderly man with a balding head and a silver mustache.

"Morning." the old man said.

"Good morning." Blue replied.

"I haven't seen your face here yet," the old man said. "Doc Mitchell."

Doc Mitchell held out his hand and Blue shook it.

"Quite the town you got here." Blue commented.

"Yes, it is. It wasn't always this way."

Blue looked over at Mitchell. "Hmm?" he asked.

"Oh, you probably don't want to hear the ramblings of an old man such as myself."

"No, be my guest." Blue said.

Mitchell chuckled. "Well, alright. In 2281, this town was a handful of people and a dream that this place would be better but, nothing really ever changed. Until a certain Courier came along."

The aging doctor continued. "He had been injured and I treated him in my house on the hill." Mitchell laughed softly. "That boy was outta bed in no time and in a matter of months the highway was clear of Deathclaws, Raiders, and Powder Gangers before anyone could lift a finger."

"What happened to this Courier?" Blue asked.

Mitchell sighed. "Aw, hell. No one knows. He disappeared on day and nobody seen hide nor hare for almost a decade."

"Aw C'mon, Doc! Don't bore the newcomer with your Courier tales!" A prospector with an eye-patch shouted across the bar.

"Don't you forget who dug your infected eye from it's socket, DeLaney!" Mitchell called back.

The other drunken prospectors in the saloon turned out an uproar of laughter at Mitchell's comeback. Blue smiled and turned to leave the bar.

"Hey, son!" Mitchell called. "I noticed you got one of them Pip-boys. Yeah, I grew up in one of them Vaults too. You hold onto it, I lost mine some time ago."

"I will." Blue called back.

Blue met back up with Piper and Dogmeat in the front room of the saloon. Piper had already gotten comfortable on a sofa and Dogmeat was laying beside her with his front paws and head in her lap.

"What's the word, Blue?" she asked.

"Towns bustling after some hero called "The Courier" freed up the roads from danger." Blue replied.

Piper nodded. "Ah, I see."

A few moments later, the sound of gunfire erupted outside. Blue figured it was some drunk prospectors but Trudy and Doc Mitchell ran out the front door anyway. Blue went to the window to see what was happening.

Outside, Trudy and Doc Mitchell were talking with the same gang leader Blue had seen earlier. Now, with a closer look, Blue could determine that the man looked familiar but he just couldn't place it.

"You what?" Trudy asked the Leader.

"Here in this town are two fugitives and a dog. I want them turned over to me." the Leader said.

"You don't hold any authority in Goodsprings. We don't have to do anything." Trudy said defiantly.

The Leader sighed and glanced at Doc Mitchell. "You're the town's doctor, I presume?"

Doc Mitchell stepped forward. "I am, Mitchell's the name."

"Nice to meet you, Mitchell." the Leader said.

The gang's leader withdrew a sidearm and shot the doctor in the head. With a spray of blood and brain, Mitchell fell to the dirt road in a heap. Stunned onlookers backed away silently.

"Now who in this town of goat fuckers is gonna turn over the people I want."

Inside the saloon, Sunny came up beside Blue and Piper. "Back door, now." she whispered.

Sunny led the trio outside behind the saloon and stopped them. "Who the hell are they?" she whispered.

"We have no idea. We saw them this morning but thought nothing of it." Piper.

"Someone must've told them where you were heading." Sunny said.

Blue looked over at Piper. "Mason." he hissed.

"Who?" Sunny said.

"Nevermind, thank you for all your hospitality. But we need to go now." Blue said

Blue grabbed Piper's hand and with Dogmeat in tow ran all the way around the doc's house, out of sight from the gang and from there out of town. When they were sure they were safely out of Goodsprings borders, they stopped to rest a moment.

"You think Mason told them where we were heading?" Piper asked.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. C'mon, we need to pay him a visit.


	4. Visitation

Fallout: WarMonger

Visitation

Blue and Piper tried to approach Mason's shack with a small degree of stealth. Their entire strategy relied on Mason not knowing they were coming. Their plan, to interrogate Mason and see what he knows regarding the gang that was hunting them.

Blue and Piper reached the wall of the shack, with revolver and pistol drawn, they crept forward towards the door to the shack. Blue motioned "1, 2, 3" then kicked the door down and stepped inside with his revolver aimed forward. Piper went in behind him.

Mason was nowhere to be found but in the center of the room was a solitary radio. Blue picked it up and listened in.

" _I trust you can hear me, right?"_ Mason's voice came in over the radio.

"Where the hell are you?" Blue replied.

Mason laughed. " _Wouldn't you like to know?"_

"I'm not in the mood for games, Mason." Blue said forcefully.

" _Neither am I. So, step out of my house and leave me alone."_ Mason said.

"What did you tell that gang this morning?" Blue asked.

" _Step outside."_ was Mason's only answer.

Blue obliged and stepped out of the shack and unbenounced to him, into a sniper's crosshairs.

" _Now, Blue. There is 50. Caliber rifle pointed at your forehead so your just going to have to play my game. Why do you want to know what I told them so badly to the point you'd break into a man's home?"_

"Because that gang is hunting us and we don't know why! So my turn, what did you tell them?"

Mason's answer didn't come for a while. " _I didn't tell them anything. Even if I wanted to."_

"Why not?" Blue asked.

" _Because, they asked if I saw where you went. I was whittling, I didn't see you leave."_

On a distant ridge, Mason stood up and waved his hand and his sniper rifle. Blue and Piper nervously waved back.

"That guy is weird." Piper said.

"No truer words have ever been spoken." Blue replied.

" _I'm still on the radio."_ Mason said.

/

In Goodsprings, the Leader of the gang stood in front of a line of people. Men, women, and children. Trudy, Sunny, and the owner of the general store Chet among them. The Leader walked up and down the line, eyeing each person.

"Which of you here is part of a caravan of any sort?" the Leader called out.

Several men raised their hands.

The Leader turned to his men. "Cuff 'em and put 'em in Wagon 1."

The Leader walked a while longer before stopping in front of Trudy and Sunny. "Tell me, Trudy. Where did my fugitives go?"

"Go fuck yourself." Trudy growled.

The Leader sighed before smacking Trudy with the back of his hand. Blood came from her mouth and the Leader had to wipe it off his knuckle. Then, he turned his attention to Sunny.

"Ms. Smiles, is it? A pleasure." he said.

"What Trudy said." Sunny said calmly.

"Hmm." he replied. "Mr. Brody!" he called to one of his men.

A tall, broad shouldered man stepped forward. "Yessir."

"Take this one and every woman under 40 and above 15 to my personal wagon." the Leader said.

Mr. Brody got a sickening smile on his face. "My pleasure, sir."

Several of the gang members began dragging young women to the most armored wagon at the front of the long line. One woman cried for her husband who stepped forward to defend her but was quickly cut stopped by the Leader.

"You don't want to do that." the Leader warned.

"You can't take Maria!" the man said.

The Leader put his hand on the man's shoulder. "You'll see I can."

With his other hand, the Leader pushed against the man's chest and knocked him to the ground. Then, he kneeled beside the man and began stabbing him in the throat over and over.

The Leader stood up and smiled at the remaining citizens of Goodsprings. He ran a hand through his medium length brown hair to comb it back away from his hair.

"Mr. Brody, get me a cloth. I need to wipe the blood from my face. Put the children in Wagon 2 and lock the men inside the saloon."

The people looked upon the Leader with questioning.

"And burn the saloon afterwards."

The men and some women looked on helplessly as the mercenaries took their children towards the wagon line. Then, another squad forced them at gunpoint towards the saloon door including Trudy.

Moments later, the saloon was aflame and the Leader listened with eerie calmness as the people screamed inside as they slowly burned to death.

"Scout the graveyard and the school. I want those fugitives found." the Leader ordered.

/

 **Several Hours Later…**

Mason, Blue, Piper, and Dogmeat ran into Goodsprings at full speed after seeing the smoke on the horizon. The saloon was roaring in flame and a dead man lay in the street, stabbed to death. Mason kneeled beside the man.

Pouring water on the man's throat, Mason analyzed the wound marks. "Curved blade. It's him."

"Who?" Blue asked.

Mason stood up. "He's called 'The Captain' by his men. A military genius and brilliant tactician. Rumor has it, he first surfaced in the Commonwealth. He's got a sick taste for women, the several his men don't kill wish they died with their families, probably the only good thing about him is that he doesn't kill the children, he just sells them to slavers." he said.

Blue wasn't entirely listening to what Mason was saying, he was too busy observing the condition of Goodsprings. Children, sold. Women, taken. Men, burned alive. Anyone who stood up to them, shot down or stabbed to death. It all mirrored the MO of the people who destroyed Sanctuary.

"That's why they're hunting us." Blue said.

"What?" Piper asked.

"Why the Captain and his men chased us all the way across the U.S, we're loose ends. He burned Sanctuary."

Mason stood up and looked at Blue squarely. "You're sure?"

Blue nodded. "Positive."

Mason slung his sniper over his shoulder. "Then good luck."

"You're not coming? I thought Goodsprings was you town, too." Piper said.

"I don't do that anymore. I took revenge once, it just caused more trouble. These were good people and I'd like to see nothing more than to have the Captain's head on a spike, but it's not my fight. Go ahead, avenge your people but leave me out of it."

Mason turned and walked back in the direction of his solitary shack. Piper, with pure anger on her face spat in his direction.

"Fuck 'em. We don't need him." she said.

Blue; however, was not so sure.


	5. Worse Than Death

Fallout: WarMonger

Worse Than Death

The Captain stood on a metal railing overlooking his group of highly trained mercenaries. Each man paid over 3,000 caps a week, it kept their loyalty on one man and one man only, him. The Captain leaned against the rail and smiled.

"Boys!" he shouted. "We got a good haul from the good people of Goodsprings."

His men shouted their approval. The Captain lifted his hands up to silence them. "Sadly, we had to take drastic measures seeing as how they were less than cooperative. I wish it hadn't come to that. But, as a reward for your gallantry in the face of questionable decisions on my part, each man will get to sample the female haul!"

Another cry of approval. The Captain certainly knew how to please his men.

"Additionally, promotions are in order," he pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket and cleared his throat. "Sgt. Brody is hereby promoted to 1st Lieutenant. I couldn't ask for a finer man to be my would-be successor should I perish on the battlefield."

Yet another shout of approval as the men lifted Mr. Brody into the air and carried him out of the large steel factory towards where the women were being kept.

"Dad?" a voice called.

The Captain turned to see his little three year old daughter standing on the flight of stairs beside him.

The Captain took a step forward and picked his daughter up. "What are you doing up, Ari?" he asked.

"I kept hearing noises." Ari replied.

"It's just the men. It's okay. C'mon, back to bed." The Captain said.

Ari, too tired to resist fell asleep again in her father's arms. The Captain carried her back to the large area of the steel mill that he had made into their personal quarters.

/

Mason sat on the floor of his shack as night crept up on the Mojave. Casting long shadows against the irradiated desert. In his hands, Mason felt the wood carving he had been working on that morning. It was probably the ninth one he had made just like it. It depicted a woman in flowing robes, on her fist and arm was a metal gauntlet wired to a hydraulic piston.

Mason stared at the wood carving a while longer before tossing it into a corner with the rest of the carvings exactly the same as it. Standing up, he looked at the hatch in the floor. Sighing, he pulled a rusty key from his trousers and put in in the lock to the hatch.

Opening it up, he descended the ladder down into a bunker. Along the walls, was every type of firearm. Rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, rocket launchers, even a golf club or two. Against a far wall was a suit of combat armor and atop that was a red beret. An NCR 1st Recon beret. He earned it years ago while serving the NCR.

And in another corner was a machete still with dried blood on the blade. The same machete he cleaved a member of Caesar's Legion's head off with.

History of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam and other exploits lay everywhere. Mason plopped himself down in a chair and stared at it all, reminiscing about the good old days.

"Goddamn it!" Mason shouted to nothing in particular.

/

Mr. Brody stared at the line of women sat up against the wall. He studied each face with great detail. Men all around him picked up the first blonde or the first red-head they saw. Echoing throughout the small storage closets and barracks surrounding the holding chamber, Mr. Brody could hear women screaming and the grotesque grunts and moans of the pleasured men.

Mr. Brody hated them for what they were doing. On the outside, he played the persona of a sleazy creature while he hid his true self, the sensitive boy from a Commonwealth farm. Finally, he picked one. A woman with short blonde hair.

Mr. Brody held out his hand to the woman. She looked up at him through tear-stained cheeks. Mr. Brody felt a twinge of sympathy for her, he quickly put it in the back of his mind.

"Please." he said simply.

The woman glanced at the one next to her and decided it would be futile to resist. She took his hand, and Mr. Brody helped her up.

Mr. Brody took her to his personal room. It was dirty and dusty but at least it was roomy and comfortable to a minimal. The woman sat down on the old mattress and bed frame and stared at her captor with hatred.

Mr. Brody sat down on a chair and stared back at her, only with a more soft expression.

"What are you planning to do?" the woman asked.

Mr. Brody shrugged subtly. "I didn't plan to do anything. I just wanted to talk."

The woman scoffed. "I doubt you're any different to those hounds out there." she said.

Mr. Brody nodded. "I am very sorry for what we did in Goodsprings. It wasn't right."

"It wasn't the first time you people did that, was it?"

"No ma'am, it wasn't. I'm sorry to say, we've killed a lot of people." Mr. Brody replied.

"What's your name?" the woman asked.

"Jimmy, or Jim. Jim Brody." Jim said. "What's yours?"

The woman thought a moment before answering. "Ellie. Ellie Martin."

"It's nice to meet you, Ellie." Jim said.

"Why do you stay with them? These people, they're monsters. Your obviously not."

Jim sighed. "I have no choice. I owe the Captain my life. I'm only 19 and when I was 14 when my family's farm was set upon by Raiders. The Captain came to my rescue. Of course, my family was already dead but I survived and he taught me how to use a gun. Then, he started this band of mercenaries and I've been with him ever since. Now, I can't say I never questioned the way the Captain does things but what he's trying to accomplish makes sense."

"And what is the Captain trying to accomplish?" Ellie asked.

Jim thought a moment. All of a sudden, he wasn't so sure he knew entirely.


	6. A Warm Welcome

Fallout: WarMonger

A Warm Welcome

Blue, Piper, and Dogmeat walked through the big red gate into the slums known only as Freeside. It was made up of the residential area around the Strip which was now dubbed New Vegas. Subtle memories of Blue's time in the military flooded back to him. He remembered being stationed near the Old Mormon Fort. Now, 200 years later, the place was a shell of it's former self.

All around, junkies and drunks stumbled about or sat against one of the many buildings hoping a good or bad samaritan would give them caps or their next fix. On nearly every corner, prostitutes awaited a lonely man or woman to stumble into their sights. As the trio walked past a corner, one called out to Blue.

"Come over here, baby!" she called. "I'll show you the time of your life!"

Blue grimaced at her cheesy line and kept walking, trying desperately to ignore the clamor. Soon, they reached what appeared to be a store. The sign out front which miraculously still worked advertised Mick and Ralph's. Only, the Mick part had burned out some time ago.

"We didn't get a chance to secure provisions from Goodsprings." Blue said.

"Good point," Piper said. "C'mon, lets go."

Piper walked in first with Blue and Dogmeat behind her. Inside the store was one man behind a shabby counter and a random assortment of provisions scattered around.

"Morning." the man said quietly.

Blue leaned against the counter. "We need some provisions for the road."

"Mm." the man replied.

"So, which one are you? Mick or Ralph?" Piper asked.

"Ralph. Mick was killed a few years ago by a mercenary."

"Oh, sorry to hear that." Piper apologized.

Ralph waved his hand. "Naw, it's okay. Mick was kinda a jackass anyway. Now, I run general goods and guns and ammo and I don't have to split profits."

"So, what can you tell a couple of newcomers about Freeside?" Blue asked.

"Well, people around here are categorized into two groups. Residents, the ones who pay to live here and the freeloaders the NCR dumped here so they don't have to deal with 'em. Also, watch your ass around the guys in leather jackets. They're the Kings, they're kinda like the law and order in Freeside."

"We'll make sure to stay out of their way." Blue said.

Ralph reached under the counter and pulled out three bags of food. "That's about two weeks supply. 50 caps."

Blue sighed. "Fair enough." he said.

Blue withdrew a bag of jingling caps from his belt and placed it on the counter. Ralph smiled and gave them the bags and took the cap pouch.

"Have yourselves a fine day." Ralph said.

Blue smiled and the trio walked out, 50 caps lighter, but with enough food to last a few weeks on the road.

/

Jim Brody crouched behind the corner of a small house, beside him was a group of mercenaries who acted as his squad. Their job was simple, arm themselves with the best weapons on the market, without losing caps. That meant robbery and the best guns on the market belonged to the Gun Runners.

Jim turned to his comrades and signaled for them to be quiet. Holstering his sidearm, he withdrew from cover and approached the kiosk of the Gun Runners.

The Vendortron inside the kiosk went into standby mode. Jim paid no mind to the man standing beside the kiosk with an assault rifle.

" _Hello."_ came the robot's automated voice. " _Have you come to make a purchase?"_

"Not really." Jim said. "More like a withdrawal of your entire stock."

" _I am sorry. But I cannot allow you to do that."_ The Vendortron said.

"Who said I wanted you to let me?" Jim asked.

The Gun Runner guard raised his assault rifle. "Step away from the robot and put your hands up." he said.

Jim turned to the man. "No."

The man's head exploded from a round from a high powered sniper round. Subsequently, the rest of the Gun Runner guards suffered the same fate and it left only Jim and the Vendortron. Jim withdrew his sidearm and fired at the kiosk window.

" _That is unwise, this is bullet proof glass."_ The Vendortron said.

Jim nodded and signaled for one of his men to advance, the man came wielding a grenade launcher. Crouching, he fired it at the kiosk, shattering the front window.

The Vendortron was destroyed by the blast, leaving only the mercenaries and a truck-load of the best guns on the market. Jim smiled to himself proudly.

"Boys!" he called out. "Let's go shopping!"


	7. The Gun Heist

Fallout: WarMonger

The Gun Heist

Blue, Piper, and Dogmeat were standing outside of Ralph's when an explosion rippled through the morning air. Suddenly, a squad of what Blue figured were the Kings ran past them and through the gate they had come from. Blue dropped the provision bags and withdrew a hunting rifle. One of the weapons he had bought from Ralph.

The trio ran through the gate and to where the Kings stood with their assortment of firearms and revolvers aimed at a group of men in dark clothing and body armor.

"You Van Graffs?" one of the Kings shouted.

Their leader, a man that Blue recognized from Goodsprings shook his head. "No, sir. We're a traveling' mariachi band!" Jim shouted back, chuckling to himself.

"Put your guns down, or we're gonna have to shoot you!" another King shouted.

"Please… You couldn't the broad side of the Lucky 38 if you were a few centimeters away. Go on! Take your shot!" Jim taunted.

The King fired his revolver. The shot echoed through the air, but Jim was left unharmed by the exchange.

"My turn." Jim said.

One of Jim's men stepped forward with a gatling laser. Blue could hear a King exclaim "Oh shit!" before the group of Kings scattered for cover.

"Advance!" Jim ordered to his group of heavily armed men.

The men did as they were told and advanced forward towards the unorganized Kings. On man got to his knees to beg for mercy, before being disintegrated by a merc with a laser rifle. The others fled for their lives, shooting wildly behind them as they ran. One bullet managed to hit it's target, catching a merc in the shin.

"Manuel!" Jim shouted.

"Yes, sir!" Manuel called back.

Pvt. Manuel knelt down on the ground and balanced his sniper rifle on his knee. Picking a target, he aimed, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. The King's head exploded and Manuel repeated the process until all the remaining Kings were dead.

"Hostile targets down, sir." Manuel said, standing back up.

"Okay. Grab the rest of the ammunition from the kiosk and bring it back here."

It was only then, that Jim noticed the three onlookers. Jim's mouth opened slightly before turning back to his men.

"Change of plans! Bring those two to me!" he ordered.

"What about the dog?" a merc asked.

Jim sighed. "Just fucking shoot it!" he shouted.

"Ah, hell." Blue muttered before raising his rifle and shooting at the group of mercs.

With deadly accuracy, the bullet travelled from the barrel of his rifle, in and out of one merc's head and landing in the neck of another. The mercs subsequently returned fire on the trio. They took cover behind a corner of Freeside's wall as bullets and automatic rounds whistled past them or clanged against the steel sheets supporting the wall.

Piper leaned out of cover and fired her sidearm, catching on man in his left knee. The man fell to the dust, favoring the kneecap which was now shattered and oozing dark red blood.

Jim growled in frustration and grabbed a fragmentation grenade from his tool belt. "Grenade out!" he shouted as he pulled the pin and tossed it towards the trio's hiding place.

The grenade rolled up beside them. Blue instinctively turned and pushed Piper out of the way of the blast, catching most of it himself. Blue then found himself on his back several feet from Piper and Dogmeat. Blue reached out towards them vainly.

"Blue?" Piper said, dazed from the blast.

"Piper, stay there." Blue hissed.

Dogmeat took a step towards his master.

"Stay, boy!" Blue said firmly.

Dogmeat whimpered helplessly and sat down beside Piper.

Jim and the two mercs left standing advanced on the tattered trio with a sort of swagger and not the militaristic protocol they had been utilizing earlier. Jim stopped and looked down upon Blue. Half of Blue's face was bleeding from a cut down his right eye and the other half was heavily caked in dust. Dust had also found it's way into his jet black hair.

"Sir, what do we do with them?" one of the mercs asked.

"Leave this one. He's as good as dead. Take the girl. The Captain might want some time with her."

"Leave her alone, you son of a-" Blue's words were cut off by the butt of a firearm connecting with his forehead.

Even as Blue slipped out of consciousness, he could still feel fresh blood trickle down his forehead and Piper screaming his name with Dogmeat howling on, unable to do anything. It broke Blue's spirit.

/

Jim and his men, most of whom were being dragged along on stretchers returned to the Captain's base of operations. An old steel mill out in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest town. Daylight was now slipping away and darkness crept up against everything.

Jim glanced back at their prisoner. Her hands were bound and tied to one of the stretchers. In the scuffle that morning, she had lost the journalist's cap she had been wearing. Her lip was busted and was bleeding down her chin. Additionally, she had a dark purple bruise on her cheek.

On the outside, Jim kept a cold and heartless demeanor. While on the inside, he was practically sobbing for the poor girl who was about to go through hell at the hands of his comrades. He almost wished his grenade had killed her to spare her of this fate.

The front gate to the steel mill opened as they approached where they were warmly received by the steel mill's front guards. The guards took the reins to the stretchers and pulled them inside at breakneck speed. One man took a step towards the girl and Jim stopped him.

"I'll handle this one." he said firmly.

The guard shrugged and walked off to assist in the dressing of the wounded men. Jim turned towards the girl, who stared at him with hatred.

"You have a right to be pretty damn angry right now." he said.

"Why didn't you just kill me?" she replied coldly.

"Part of me wishes you did, I don't know what the other part wishes." Jim said.

"What's going to happen to me in there?" Piper asked.

Jim swallowed. "It depends on whether you let me help you or not."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

"I can vouch for you to kept away from the other women captives so you won't be defiled."

"How?"

"My word holds a lot of weight around here. So, what do you say?" asked Jim.

Piper looked at him suspiciously. "How can I trust you?"

"I don't know. I guess you really just can't."


	8. Memories

Fallout: WarMonger

Memories

 **Sanctuary, Commonwealth**

 **August 19th, 2288**

Blue peered out the window of the husk that was once his home 200 years ago. Now, the blue paint was peeling off and there wasn't any glass on the windows, that meant the noise of people chatting and people hammering away at structures could be heard quite easily.

Blue slipped back into the office chair in front of his desk. Taking a quick glance around, he opened the drawer to reveal a bottle of Nuka Cola. He took it out of the drawer and looked at the label.

"It expired 200 years ago, it hasn't been in an operating fridge in 200 years. What the hell?" he said with a shrug.

He popped the cap off a took a long swig. Piper appeared in the doorway behind him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

In surprise, Blue spat the Nuka Cola out and threw the soft drink out of the window. Turning the chair to face her, he grinned.

"I'm working." he said.

"Uh huh." Piper said inquisitively. "You snuck it from Marcy's food storage, didn't you?"

Blue shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Piper laughed and smiled. "Right." she said sarcastically. "Did you at least file the last scavenging report?"

"Yeah, pretty slim. Concord's been picked clean, the boy's will be moving on to Lexington next week."

"Ghoul and Raider territory." Piper noted.

"Plenty of ammo, Radaway, and Stimpaks." Blue said.

"That's why you're the organizer." she said as she turned to leave.

"And leader!" he called after her.  
"Whatever!" she called back.

Blue smiled and returned to what he was doing.

/

Off on the perimeter of Sanctuary, near the bridge which led into the settlement, Preston Garvey walked about. His eyes were peeled for potential threats of all shapes and sizes. In his hands, he held a laser musket, charged and ready to fire. As Preston passed by the bridge for the last time until his shift was over, he spotted a figure coming up the road from the direction of the Red Rocket.

The man was limping and it was obvious we was bleeding pretty bad. Preston rushed over across the bridge to meet the staggering man. As Preston reached him, the man collapsed. Preston knelt down and turned him over on his back.

The man was in his thirties with long dark hair and a patchy beard. The man also had a bullet wound in his abdomen that was spurting blood.

"Damn it." Preston said.

Preston heaved the man onto his back in a fireman's carry and hoofed him back into the settlement. He carried the man into the center of town and laid him down on a patch of dirt. People noticed the disturbance and began crowding around.

"What's your name?" Preston asked.

The man wheezed. "Albert." he said weakly.

"Albert, stay here and don't move." Preston ordered.

Albert nodded faintly and Preston ran off towards Blue's house.

/

Blue had just finished the paperwork when Preston burst through the door.

"General!" he shouted. "You need to come quick!"

Blue dropped the scout reports and inventory lists and ran out into the living room. Preston had a hysterical look about him and there was a smear of blood on his duster.

"That's not your blood, is it?" Blue asked.

"No time! Come on!"

Preston led Blue out to where Albert was laying motionless. The crowd had gotten even bigger to the point every single person in Sanctuary was clamoring to see the wounded man. Blue pushed his way through the crowd to Albert.

"Who shot you?" Blue said.

"I don't know. Raider maybe." Albert said wearily.

Blue looked up at Preston. "Get him to Doc Weathers!"

/

 **August 22nd, 2288**

The travelling doctor, Doc Weathers had managed to patch Albert up at the cost of three ribs. In no time at all, Albert was up and about talking with the locals and making friends. It wasn't a day before he was caught in one of the women's beds. Albert had received proper punishment for the debauchery and was sentenced to a day in the corn fields by himself.

It wasn't ten hours before they dragged him back to Doc Weathers with heatstroke.

Now, Albert was resting on a worn out couch in the main intact building at the center of town. With Dogmeat there to guard him, Albert didn't dare step out of line.

/

 **August 27th, 2288**

Nearly a week after Albert arrived in Sanctuary, he had made so many friends among the community that he was going on scouting missions and even supply runs. Even Blue began to trust the newcomer. But one day, he disappeared. He was gone for nearly a day and he came back with a group of men in black combat armor. He himself was clad in the strange apparel.

Preston and Blue confronted the group of rough looking men. They were heavily armed with machine guns and their look suggested they were meaning to use them.

"Albert." Blue said. "Who are these people?"

"General. Meet the men who shot me." Albert said.

Blue looked around at the roughians. "Your name isn't Albert, is it?"

"No, sir. I don't have a name. Friends of mine call me "The Captain." As does everyone else." The Captain replied.

"Well, Captain. I suggest you turn and leave. We nursed you to health, you owe us peace." Preston tried to negotiate.

The Captain sighed. "That just isn't an option."

An explosion went off from within Sanctuary. Blue and Preston whirled around to see what the hell was happening.

From behind them the Captain spoke again. "You really are stupid. Letting some random waster into your town. Make friends, mingle, help out, bed your women, plant high powered explosive charges…" his voice trailed off.

Blue turned back to him. "You son of a bitch."

The Captain shrugged. "Don't remember her."


	9. The Old Breed

Fallout: WarMonger

The Old Breed

Blue awoke with a jolt on the rough floor of a shack. He was soaked in cold sweat and his torso and head were bandaged with gauze. Blue glanced around at his surroundings and realized he was in Mason's cabin. The old man was sitting on the old bed staring into one of his wood carvings.

Mason noticed that Blue was awake and handed him a cup of liquid. Blue wordlessly drank the cup dry, then spat it out.

"What the hell was that!?" Blue shouted.

Mason smiled and glanced over at Dogmeat, who was resting on a small shag carpet. Dogmeat looked up and began panting happily.

Blue looked back at Mason. "How did you?"

"I had to chase your dog around for nearly a day with that cup." Mason said.

"Why did you feed me my dog's piss?" Blue asked disgustedly.

"To flush your system. Otherwise, you would probably choke on your vomit if you fell asleep again." Mason replied.

"'Flush' my system? Pun intended?" Blue said.

Mason shrugged. "I once shot a man on the shitter once. The leader of the Great Khans. Took a shotgun and blew his head off."

"Okay, remind me not to reminisce with you anymore."

"What were you doing in Freeside?" Mason asked.

"Looking for provisions. For the road, we were planning to cross the Colorado when we encountered Brody." Blue said.

"James Brody." Mason said inquisitively. "An unfortunate loss to the Captain. Now what? They have Ms. Wright, you're going to go after them."

Blue stood up with a wince. "You're damn straight."

"Well, I regret to inform you, the mercs took your gear when I found you and brought you here. The only thing left was that."

Mason pointed to Blue's Pip-boy, which was sitting on a table in the corner.

"Careful with those things." Mason said.

Mason lifted his sleeve from his forearm to reveal a series of scars in patterns along it.

"I had one of those things. Some models bond symbiotically with your arm. It took me months to pry it off. Even now, I have fragments of wires and electronics adorning my arm."

"Who are you?" Blue asked.

Mason stopped and thought a moment. "Follow me."

Mason stood up and led Blue to the mysterious hatch. Opening the latch, he let Blue go down first. Blue climbed down the ladder and down into the bunker. Blue looked around at all the memorabilia, weapons, armor, and ammo.

Mason slid down the ladder behind him. Blue turned back to Mason with a look of shock.

"You're-"

"My name is Mason Wilcott. But, people call me the Courier." Mason said.

"That's why you knew how to use that sniper rifle, and how to apply proper medical attention to me." Blue said.

Mason shrugged. "I've had practice."

"Who was she?" Blue asked.

Mason stopped. "What did you just say?"

"The woman you carve constantly. Who was she?" Blue asked.

Mason stared at him coldly for a few moments. "Her name was Veronica Santangelo. She and I were close 10 years ago. About six years ago she was contracted an incurable disease. She didn't recover."

"You've been in exile ever since." Blue said thoughtfully.

"You could say that. I didn't tell anyone where I went or why. The NCR has me listed as AWOL and wouldn't hesitate to arrest me."

"You have to have considered coming back into the fray." Blue said.

"Of course I did. It just didn't feel worth it, everything I did to clean up the Mojave just made it worse." the Courier said.

"What if I told you now was the perfect time to come back into the thick of it?" Blue asked.

The Courier grimaced. "I'd say you can take anything you need and your dog and leave."

Blue sighed and nodded. "That's fair."

/

Blue emerged some time later sporting a set of reinforced armor and a machine gun, plenty of ammo, a grenade, and his revolver. Beside him trotted Dogmeat, as happy as could be, unaware they might meet their end in the days to come.

Suddenly, a bullet hit the ground beside Blue's foot, making him jump in surprise. Blue turned back to see the Courier in reinforced leather armor and a red beret. On his face was a pair of dark aviators and in his hand was a revolver and slung across his back was a sniper rifle.

The Courier returned the revolver to it's holster and took a step towards the still stunned Blue.

"You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun, did ya?" the Courier asked.

/

Piper sat bound to a chair in a dark room. In front of her, she could tell there was a table and beyond it another door. Aside from that quick assessment, she could hardly see anything. A shower of light flooded through a door that opened and a tall broad shouldered man stepped into the room and sat down in the adjacent chair.

"Ms. Wright." the Captain said.

"Albert." Piper scowled.

"Please, Ms. Wright. Don't make this any more difficult." the Captain pleaded.

Piper held up her bound hands. "Does this make things less difficult for you?"

"I'm aware how awkward this situation is seeing as how you once trusted me a long time ago, but it doesn't seem fair to judge after such a long period of time."

"You killed Preston Garvey! You killed Jun and Marcy Long! You killed Cait! You killed-"

"I get it I kill a lot of your friends and I'd happily kill hundreds more if it meant I got what I wanted."

"Fear. You want to kill us because we're the only ones who don't fear you." Piper said.

The Captain snapped his finger and laughed. "Bingo!"

"Your a psychopath." Piper growled.

"And you abandoned your sister to be with a 200 year old man. Slightly poetic, don't you think?"

At the mention of Nat, Piper spat in the Captain's face. The Captain took a moment to wipe the saliva away before turning back to the journalist. With lightning fast speed, the Captain slapped Piper then with the other hand, grabbed her by the throat and pulled her in close.

"You may not see it now, but when your lover comes to save your he will suffer the same fate as Mr. Garvey! Then, I'll wear you out like a piece of shoe leather until you beg for death. And you know what? I'll deny you it." he hissed before breaking out in a fit of laughter.

The Captain turned and left the room. Still cackling to himself. Now, Piper began to feel fear.


	10. Gearing For War

Fallout: WarMonger

Gearing For War

NCR ambassador Lewis Crocker stared down at the hand drawn note on his desk. Across from him sat two rough men, one he recognized and one he did not.

Crocker threw the note back to the Courier. "I can't." he said.

The Courier glanced over at Blue. "And why the hell not?"

Crocker sighed. "You've been gone the better part of a decade, then you come into my father's office and demand I loan you a squad of Rangers and a Vertibird? Are you out of your mind!?"

"I'm pretty sure you know that answer." The Courier replied.

"I'll take that as a yes." Crocker grumbled.

The Courier shot up from his seat. "Lewis, six years ago, your pa owed me a big fucking favor before he up and disappeared and now I want you to cash it in!"

Crocker stood up as well. "I can't just commission a Vertibird for immediate use as well as a squad of elite NCR Rangers!"

"And why not? Is something holding you back? You have more NCR authority on the entire Strip! Nobody's gonna say no to the son of Dennis Crocker." the Courier replied.

Crocker sat heavily into his chair and began rubbing his head as to nurse a migraine. "If I do this, you don't come back here, you don't show your face in this building, I don't even want to hear your name."  
The Courier crossed his arms. "Mason Wilcot, Mason Wilcot, Mason Wilcot!"

Crocker stared at the bizarre individual. He just couldn't read him. "Dad always said you were a strange one."

"What can I say," said the Courier. "It's a wild wasteland out there."

/

Jim stormed into his quarters with Ellie trailing close behind. Jim sat down on a chair and Ellie crossed her arms and stared at the grizzly looking young man.

"What?" Jim asked.

Ellie sighed. "You killed someone?"

Jim looked at her with slight confusion before standing up and taking a step towards her. Ellie; in response, took one step back. Jim stopped and glanced around his room, unsure of what to say to her.

"Not directly."

"What the hell does that mean!?" Ellie asked angrily.

Jim groaned. "I gave the order to take the shot at the Gun Runner guards and the Kings but I swear, I myself didn't kill anyone."

Ellie gave Jim a look of disgust and turned to leave the room. Jim quickly moved forward and grabbed her wrist to stop her before she opened the door. Ellie turned and stared at him.

"You're gonna rape me? Is that it?" Ellie asked.

Jim's heart sank and he looked down at his boots. "No." he said before pulling her into a kiss.

At first, Ellie tried to push him off but he was persistent and she eventually stopped as the two young people settled for the night.

/

"Just bring it back in one piece!" Crocker yelled from the cracked pavement of Camp McCarran."

The Courier yelled back. "We'll try."

The Vertibird and the squad of NCR Rangers they commandeered flew off over the walls of McCarran. Lewis Crocker watched with a pained expression as it narrowly avoided crashing into one of pre war air traffic control towers.

On the Vertibird, the Courier and Blue were trying to stay situated inside the horribly vibrating aircraft.

"Do you know what you're doing!?" Blue shouted to the man in the cockpit.

The man; an NCR recruit, was pressing buttons left and right. "Uh, more or less."

The Vertibird jolted again, sending Blue sprawling across the wide deck.

"Which one!?" the Courier shouted.

"Less!" Their so called "pilot" shouted back.

Suddenly, the Vertibird veered off towards the south. The pilot nor the Courier looked the least bit concerned so Blue spoke up.

"Where exactly are we going?" Blue asked.

"We're going to see an old friend!" the Courier called over the sound of the engines.

/

Craig Boone sat on a chair cleaning his rifle. That day, he hadn't a care in the world with the desert sun to his back and his 1st Recon beret to signify the importance of his marksmanship skills. In the distance, Boone heard the sounds of Vertibird engines and looked up from his cleaning.

In the distance came a Vertibird with NCR markings adorning the sides and front. From a door on the side, Boone could see a figure hanging out and waving another red beret. Boone stood up from his chair and smiled.

"You son of a bitch." he said with a smile. He knew who it was in that Vertibird.

/

Moments later, Boone found himself sitting rather uncomfortably in a seat in the NCR Vertibird alongside the Courier, a squad of Rangers, and one man he'd never seen before.

"Hi." Blue said. "My names Blue."

Blue held out his hand but Boone simply stared at it.

" _Not a fan of handshakes, huh?"_ Blue whispered to the Courier.

The Courier only shook his head in response.


	11. Battle For The Steel Mill

Fallout: WarMonger

Battle For the Steel Mill

The Captain once again stood on the banister overlooking his group of 50 or so mercenaries. They had gathered at his order to hear what he had to say. For a twinge of dramatic effect, the Captain held out the silence. Staring at them with cold eyes.

"I'm not going to lie to any of you. Not many of us will make it out. Several of you have already fallen victim to this enemy."

The men nodded scatteredly in approval. The Captain continued.

"Four years ago; today, we burned a settlement in the Commonwealth known as Sanctuary. Her occupants fought valiantly and our goal was achieved. Fear reentered their domicile lives," Another pause. "But some survived and now they seek revenge for the pain and fear inflicted upon them! So what will we do!?"

"Raise hell!" exclaimed in unison.

The Captain nodded.

The Captain then cleared his throat and began to speak. "On to other matters. 1st Lieutenant James Brody did something a few days ago that must never be done."

The crowd of mercs pushed Jim forward and into the spotlight over them. Jim looked up at the Captain, shielding his eyes from the light's gaze.

"1st Lt. Brody took a captive by the name of Piper Wright a few days ago and while on the way here, offered her quarter and bargained. What is the penance for such a disregard for our blatantly obvious rules!?"

The crowd replied. "Front line!"

"Front line!" the Captain yelled in response. "When the Survivor and his NCR friend attack, Mr. Brody will be in the front alongside you gentlemen. Brody, you will have time to secure your assets before we send you off to combat."

"I've been in combat with the Survivor before, Captain. I can handle him." Jim replied.

"Then go. Make sure your little plaything is alright." the Captain said.

Jim nodded and turned to leave the meeting room.

/

"Who's coming?" Ellie asked again.

Jim ignored the question. Instead, he frantically grabbed clothes and ammunition she'd need if she did end up having to flee the steel mill. In the back of his head, he could hear Ellie asking over and over what was happening, but he didn't answer.

"Jim, tell me what the hell is going on!?" Ellie exclaimed angrily.

Jim turned to her with a look of annoyance. "If I don't get you out of here and away from the fighting, we're all going to die!"

Ellie turned pale as Jim went back to gathering all the clothes into a duffle bag and the ammo into a satchel. He placed them both by the door to his quarters.

"Do you have any friends in the holding cells?" Jim asked.

Ellie thought a moment before looking up. "One, her name's Sunny."

Jim nodded. "Get her and meet me back here." he ordered.

/

The Steel Mill came into the Vertibird view on the horizon. Since they picked Boone up at Novac that morning it had been a few hours. They now knew that the merc's HQ stood behind a range of mountains separating it from the rest Mojave Wasteland. Through the port hull, Blue could see a mountain path the mercs used to get to and from the Mill.

As they passed over the first ridge, Boone stood up. "Leave me here. I'm more useful farther away."

The pilot glanced back questioningly and Boone gestured to his beret. The pilot nodded and descended to the ground. The Vertibird landed and Boone hopped out, the Vertibird once again took off and went off towards the mill.

/

 **15 minutes later…**

Jim, Ellie, and her friend Sunny ran through a corridor that ran along the outside of the Mill lugging bags of supplies over their backs. Jim was leading them to an unguarded back entrance to the Mill in the hope that they'd survive and escape to live lives without him or the Captain. Then, the sound of something falling to the floor echoed throughout the hallway.

"Hold on." Ellie said suddenly.

Ellie dropped her bag and turned to grab the item that fell. As she grabbed it, the wall beside her exploded. She was propelled to the other wall with a sickening thud. Jim dropped his bag and ran to her aid, kneeling beside her, he touched her arm and she screamed.

"Don't." she wheezed painfully.

Jim back off but instead touched her cheek which was bruised, bloodied, and missing chunks of flesh. Beneath the blood, her brown eyes shown through. In a few painful moments, the light faded from her eyes and she was gone.

"Brody?" said Sunny quietly. "We need to go."

Jim turned to face her, tears now streaming down his face and into the scruff of facial hair.

"Jim?" she repeated.

Without a word, Jim pulled a handgun and shot Sunny in the head.

/

 **15 minutes earlier…**

The Vertibird landed out in front of the Mill cautiously. Blue, the Courier, Dogmeat, and the Rangers exited the vehicle and advanced towards the unguarded entrance. Everything was quiet, nothing was heard except the occasional call of a wild animal or the rusty creaks from the Mill's worn exterior.

The gate to the Mill opened and one man stepped out. Long brown hair combed back and his beard neatly trimmed. The attackers raised their weapons to the man out of caution, the man didn't move or flinch.

"Remember me, General?" the man said.

Blue nodded. "Albert. You fucking traitor."

The Captain held up his hand. "To be betrayed, one must trust another. You trust too easy." he hissed.

Blue's face turned red. "We took you in!"

"Piper said the same thing."

Blue paused. "You son of a bitch! If you hurt her-"

The Captain stopped him. "Ms. Wright is fine. I've never killed unarmed prisoners."

The Courier scoffed. "Yeah, you only do worse things to 'em."

"Please, Mr. Wilcott. This isn't your fight, go home." The Captain replied.

Silence fell over the group as the Rangers continued to aim their weapons at the Captain, who only stared coldly, unafraid that they'd do anything to him."

"We can continue this and tear each other to pieces but it'll do nothing to bring anyone back. So, I offer a compromise. Leave, and never return and I will give Piper back to you."

One of the Rangers stepped forward. "You have operated and helmed illegal activities on NCR territory. Including weapon theft, human trafficking, slave trading, child labor, murder, and rape. You will either surrender and be tried at Camp McCarran, or you will be shot and killed here today."

The Captain laughed. "The NCR's got some balls to threaten me. How about this? We negotiate like civil folk. It's what the NCR wants to instill upon everyone, right? Civility?"

"We will send a liaison-"

"We already have one. You." the Captain said, pointing to Blue. "You are to follow me into the Mill to talk all this out, unarmed. If you can't handle that, my men will be forced to take drastic measures."

The Captain turned and walked back into the Mill, Blue glanced around at his comrades and followed suit. As Blue crossed the threshold into the Mill, the gate shut ominously behind him.

The Courier turned to one of the Rangers. "You brought C4, right?"

The Ranger pulled a small pack from his belt underneath his trench coat and tossed it to the Courier. "Never leave home without it."

The Courier took the C4 and walked up to the wall of the Mill. Unpacking the raw explosives underneath, he set it against the wall and armed it.

"Those two men hate each other more than God and the Devil. Negotiations will go south and when they do, we need a contingency."

"We have a Vertibird." the Ranger said.

The Courier replied. "They have rockets."

/

The Captain led an unarmed Blue into a dark room with two chairs and a table. The Captain gestured for him to sit while he took the other chair across the table. The two bitter enemies stared each other down in relative silence before the Captain spoke.

"I assume you want to know why I burned Sanctuary."

Blue nodded angrily.

"Okay, October 23, 2077. Sound familiar?"

Blue's eyes widened as the memory flooded. The mirror, Codsworth, Shaun, Vault 111, Kellogg.

"I was there." the Captain said. "Chief of security in Vault 111."

Blue leaned forward skeptically. "That isn't possible."

"Well, it is really. The tubes Vault-Tec put you in weren't the only tubes in the Vault. You see, six months into your beauty sleep, I and some of my fellow security guards staged a revolt against the scientists. Hence, why you found skeletons 210 years later."

The Captain let it soak in before continuing. "My friends left the Vault and probably died soon after but I stayed behind. I killed the Overseer, who also had his own cryo tube and commandeered it. I awoke from my slumber some months after you."

"I heard stories about the great Sole Survivor and Sanctuary, your many exploits with the Brotherhood of Steel and The Fall of the Institute. You were a fearless warrior. I admired you, until I learned something. You cannot live without fear and why does everyone else have to suffer and fear 24/7 while your friends in Sanctuary led happy and carefree lives?"

"I put fear back into your hearts. I showed you that even impenetrable walls can't keep fear out. No matter what you do, you can't stop fear. You can't save your little lover and the little bun she's carrying."

The Captain's final comment was the last thing Blue could take, he launched himself across the table, screaming like a madman. The Captain caught him by the side of his head and held him down on the table.

"Oh, you knew? How far along is she? A month maybe? You've been busy." The Captain said. "Don't worry. When you're dead, I'll make sure your child has a good life."

Two mercs burst into the room with their weapons drawn.

"Take him to the holding cells. He'll rot alongside his flame."

/

The Courier listened with his ear up against the wall, he could hear mercs moving about, cocking rifles and loading handguns. The tell-tale sign negotiations had broken down. He turned to look back at his men and grinned.

"Show time!" he yelled.

The Courier dove from the wall as it exploded. He quickly got up and brushed the dust off his armor before drawing a revolver and getting into a readied stance. The gate to the Mill opened and a squad of mercs came out firing. Two mercs were taken down in succession by Boone over a mile away. The rest of the mercs were easily cut down by the superiorly trained Rangers.

/

The two guards carried Blue through a series of long hallways on the way to the holding cells. He knew he had two choices, let them take him and see Piper. Or escape, not see Piper, and possibly give her a better chance of surviving. It was a tough decision, but he didn't hesitate.

Blue threw up his hands and knocked his elbow into one of the guard's skull. Then, he turned to face the second one who had already pulled a pistol on him. Crouching down, Blue pulled a small knife from his boot and forced it upwards into the man's jaw and through his tongue and the roof of his mouth.

The merc gurgled for a moment before falling to the steel grate underfoot. Arming himself with the second merc's handgun, Blue crouched and began to sneak towards the nearest exit.

/

Only a few minutes later, Blue burst out into the open air and immediately came face to face with the Courier's revolver. The Courier saw who he was pointing at and lowered his weapon.

"Be more careful. I coulda killed you!" the Courier barked.

Blue nodded and picked up his gear along with his own revolver and rifle.

"What do we have?" Blue asked.

"Well, they've been coming every once in awhile but other than that, we've got them in a pretty good choke point."

"I don't think it'll last." Blue commented.

The Courier nodded. "It never does, c'mon." he said as he ran off.

Blue turned and followed. In his mind, he knew he was putting Piper in more danger than he had ever done before. Now, here he was, assaulting the fortress of the man who burned his home and killed his closest allies. Dogmeat glanced up from where he was resting, he was covered in soot but still kept what appeared to be a dog smile.

The Rangers and the two adventurers took their positions in front of the main gate. Aiming their weapons down range, they prepared for the next wave. Soon, the gate creaked open and a massive suit of Power Armor stepped out lugging a chain gun. The armor was painted black and the eyes glowed yellow.

" _Who wants to die?"_ The loudspeaker built into the helmet rang out.

"Come on, then!" shouted the Courier

The Courier fired his rifle. The bullet bounced harmlessly off the Power Armor helmet.

From on top of the wall, another merc poked out holding a launcher. With the Ranger's attention on the man in the Power Armor, they didn't see him fire a rocket at the Vertibird's engine. The Vertibird blew into two pieces, both of which were violently aflame. As Blue, the Courier, and the Rangers looked back at the Vertibird's wreckage, the Power Armor man charged them at super enhanced speeds.

The Rangers scrambled out of the way as the man slammed into Blue, knocking him back. Dropping the massive chain gun, a rusty blade extended from the top of the man's left hand and he plunged it into the ground beside Blue.

Blue shot up to his feet and punched the man in his helmeted face. The man looked over and Blue flapped his hand around in pain. The man dislodged the blade from the dirt and back handed Blue across the ground.

"Hey, asshole!" The Courier shouted from behind the man in Power Armor.

The man turned to see the madman wielding one of the merc's rocket launchers. The Courier fired the launcher which smacked squarely in the man's chest. He flew backwards, landing beside Blue. Blue and the green eyes poking through the shattered visor exchanged glances before they both climbed to their feet. Blue's head wound had reopened and it was now pouring blood like a faucet down his face.

The Power Armored Man; who was now slow with his movements, finally got to his feet and cocked his arm back for another massive punch. Blue was too tired to do anything as the fist came flying through the air at him. Inches before the fist struck his face, it stopped. As did the rest of the Power Armor. It appeared that the Fusion Core had completely depleted. The back of the Power Armor opened and a battered Jim Brody fell out onto the ground.

/

Jim scrambled tiredly to his feet and withdrew a sidearm. He aimed the gun at Blue, who had fallen to one knee with exhaustion. Jim took a step forward, one hand on the gun and the other leaning against the frozen Power Armor

"You're the man from Freeside." said Blue through heavy breathing.

Jim spat blood from his mouth. "My name is Jim."

Blue held out his hands. "Jim, we can work this out. The Captain doesn't own you, you can help us kill him. You're a mercenary anyway."

"I'm not doing this for the Captain." growled Jim.

Blue saw Jim's finger tighten around the trigger. Jim's eyes burned with murderous hatred. Blue heard the sound of a dog barking ferociously. As if time began to slow itself down, Blue watched as a bullet left the barrel of Jim's gun.

But before the bullet could reach him, a large bundle of brown and blonde hair jumped out in between Blue and Jim. The bullet entered the bundle and was carried away as it fell to the ground and rolled to a stop. Time resumed it's normal pace as Blue realized what had saved him.

Dogmeat had jumped in front of him to save his master. One last show of loyalty from the courageous canine. Jim stared at the dead creature he had inadvertently killed with eyes that were almost dead. Jim looked up at Blue, who was still staring.

"I didn't mean to-" he began.

Another shot rang out. This time it was a bullet from the Courier's rifle as it burrowed it's way through the back of Jim's head and out his eye. In a splatter of brain, Jim fell to the dust, another casualty in the conflict between Blue and the Captain.

Blue snapped back into reality and ran to his dog's aid. He fell to his knees and began searching Dogmeat's body for the wound but it was all in vain. Dogmeat had breathed his last breath.

/

The Captain stood behind a makeshift desk, waiting for the moment the man he had been hunting for four years would show himself. Under the desk was Adi, his daughter. In her little hands, she held a small box of bullets. In an open desk drawer was a loaded and cocked revolver.

The door to the Captain's office opened and Blue limped in. His face was covered in sweat, blood, and dirt. And his pieced together chestplate had been nearly torn in half.

"I told that boy to keep his assets in check. Look what it cost him." the Captain said.

Blue stood up as straight as he could. "Was it true what you said? That your over 210 years old as well?"

The Captain looked down at his desk briefly. "Every word. Believe it or not; Blue, I don't lie. That day, four years ago when I stumbled into Sanctuary. I had actually been shot; voluntarily, yes but you wouldn't have asked that."

"What about the girl you slept with on your first week? What happened to her?"

The Captain glanced down what was under his desk. "Adi, come on out, baby."

Adi got out from under the desk and waved at Blue. Blue smiled and waved back. The Captain took his daughter by her shoulders and held her in front of him. Blue could tell what he was doing, he was using his own daughter as a shield.

"What was the name of the synth in your town? Shaun, was it?" The Captain asked.

Blue stared into the Captain's dark eyes with subtle hate at the mention of his dead son's name. "Shaun, why?"

"Do you remember my men ripping little Pinocchio apart with chainsaws? We didn't know until then how much flesh the Institute put on them."

Once again engulfed by anger, Blue pulled a gun on the Captain, who only tightened his grip on his daughter.

"You aren't going to shoot me. Her innocence is too important to you!" The Captain shouted.

"Try me." Blue whispered.

Blue fired Jim's sidearm and the bullet sailed past the Captain's face and sliced between his head and his outer ear, severing the body part. The Captain relinquished his grasp and Adi took off running past Blue and out of the office.

The Captain's hand shot up to the side of his head as blood spurted from the fresh opening. He groaned for a moment before screaming "Fuck!" as loud and as long as he could.

Soon, he began to laugh. "I'll give you that, Blue. You're a good shot."

The Captain withdrew his sidearm and shot Blue in the shoulder. In his head, Blue heard his shoulder bone shattering from the impact and the remaining pieces rubbing against each other. The Captain turned and ran out of the room past him.

Blue rolled over on his stomach and shot at the Captain as he ran, catching him in the back of the leg. The Captain let out a groan and kept going. Blue fought himself to his feet and pursued him, his own wounds hindering his progress as he went.

/

After a short pursuit, Blue found the Captain standing on a platform that had a clear view into the front of one of the Mill's old open furnaces. The molten steel in it hissed as pockets of air escaped the dark yellow liquid. The Captain just stood there, staring into the flames.

"It's an old fashion revenge story. Like the ones we watched when we were growing up. I never imagined I'd live one 200 years later." The Captain said simply.

"I've tried to forget the time before the Bombs." Blue remarked.

The Captain looked up from the flames and sighed. "I used my last bullet on your shoulder. Adi has the box and the little twerp ran off. Oh, well. I've killed quite a few people. Maybe I deserve some horrible luck."

Without a word in repliance, Blue raised his gun to the Captain's head.

"I know you're going to shoot me. But, I have a favor to ask. Take care of Adi. You never know, maybe she'll grow up just like you or just like me. Either way, I want her to find solace in my death and she's always said she wanted a sibling."

The Captain turned to face Blue. "Will you do that?"

A single tear went down Blue's face. "Sure, Albert."

Blue squeezed the trigger and it went off. The bullet landed in Albert's forehead and he fell backwards into the furnace. A fresh batch of hisses erupted from the melted steel as his body sank down into it until there was nothing left above the surface.

Blue looked down at his weapon and subsequently tossed it into the furnace as well. He then turned away from the furnace and limped his way out of the Mill.


	12. A Walk to The East

Fallout: WarMonger

A Walk to The East

The gate to the Mill opened slowly as Blue stumbled wearily out of it. As he neared the lines of the NCR Rangers, a few people noticed him. Two Rangers rushed to his aid, grabbing his arms and dragging him back to the Vertibird husk. Through his hazed vision, Blue could see Piper, who also had her fair share of cuts and bruises.

The Rangers set him against a metal box and left him alone, Piper and the Courier came to his side. "The Captain?" the Courier asked.

Blue sighed, then winced. "He's gone."

Piper's eyes widened. "He got away?"

"No, no. He's dead." Blue replied.

Piper breathed a subtle sigh of relief. The Courier glanced over at the NCR Ranger who was carrying little Adi in his arms towards one of the merc's leftover wagons. Along with Adi came the mercenaries who had surrendered to the NCR.

"I'm going back with the Rangers and Boone." the Courier said. "They'll need my help, and I have an AWOL charge to deal with." he said with a smile.

Blue nodded. "It's been an honor." he replied.

The Courier frowned. "Sorry about your dog."

Blue looked over at Piper, he knew she and Dogmeat had shared a connection for five years. Now, he was gone.

"He doesn't have to suffer in the wasteland anymore." Piper said thoughtfully.

The Courier glanced at his comrades before getting up and walking towards the large caravan of wagons that were moments from departing. Piper looked back at Blue who was still leaning against the box.

"What now?" she asked.

Blue got up and stretched. "I don't know. I heard about a settlement back east."

"How?" Piper replied, now interested.

"An old ham radio in the Captain's office. I managed to get a long range signal after a little bit of tinkering." said Blue.

Piper glanced back at the caravan. "And?"

"It's in Maryland. It's called Megaton." Blue said. "From what I heard, it sounds like quite the prospect."


End file.
